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A better delineation of U.S. metropolitan areas

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  • Rappaport, Jordan
  • Humann, McKenzie

Abstract

Metropolitan areas are a fundamental unit of economic analysis. Broadly defined, they are unions of built-up locations near each other among which people travel between places of residence, employment, and consumption. Despite the importance of metropolitan areas, metropolitan Core-Based Statistical Areas and other official U.S. delineations considerably stray from this broad definition. We develop a simple algorithm to better match it, using commuting flows among U.S. census tracts in 2000. Three judgmental parameters govern the threshold strength of commuting ties between locations to include them in the same metropolitan area, the maximum separating distance between locations, and the threshold density of outlying settlement. A parameterization that balances encompassing commuting flows and excluding sparsely settled land delineates 361 Kernel-Based Metropolitan Areas (KBMAs), in aggregate capturing almost all the population and employment of metropolitan CBSAs in a small fraction of their land area. We benchmark KBMAs against two alternative parameterizations, one that prioritizes encompassing commuting flows and one that prioritizes excluding less built-up and less near locations.

Suggested Citation

  • Rappaport, Jordan & Humann, McKenzie, 2025. "A better delineation of U.S. metropolitan areas," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:juecon:v:149:y:2025:i:c:s0094119025000464
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jue.2025.103781
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
    • R14 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Land Use Patterns
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

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